[DKMR]BorN here today to address the current meta and how to get ahead of it. Lately we’ve all been seeing a HUGE increase in the number of Hunters. Now before everyone starts rushing to play Warrior Control, this is not your ordinary Hunter Aggro deck.
There has been an increasing surge in the number of Hunter Midrange decks being played. So Warrior Control might not be the best deck choice. The deck we’ll be discussing today is just about your standard Warlock Aggro deck. You have your Knife Juggler, Voidwalker, Doomguard, etc. Before we discuss how to play against the other meta decks, let’s look at why Warlock Aggro is in a good position right now.
The Deck List
Warlock Aggro is already a very strong and formidable deck. With a good draw, it can overwhelm and win in any match up. This deck has so much consistency and is able to utilize its one and two mana minions, it’s more difficult to get a bad draw than not.
Hunters are switching to more Midrange builds. What does this mean for Warlock Aggro? It means Hunters are slowing down, allowing you to punch out a win much faster than they can. This takes a lot of pressure off you and allows you to set up a very strong board presence.
Also, not only are Midrange Hunters dropping Eaglehorn Bow from their decks, some are also dropping Explosive Trap, such as Kolento’s Beast Hunter. With no Explosive Trap, your minions only have to worry about Unleash the Hounds as a board clear; however, reckless aggression against such a deck may actually be beneficial, we’ll discuss this in detail later.
Other than Hunter Midrange variants, the only other decks being played consistently at this moment are other Warlock Aggro decks, Warrior Control, and Ramp Druid variants.
Outside of the mirror match, Warlock Aggro is favored in all of these matchups. If you are looking to gain some ranks on the ladder, we highly suggest playing such a deck.
Playing Against the Meta
Vs Midrange Hunter
Mulligan for a smooth one, two, and three drop curve. Argent Squire, Flame Imp, and Voidwalker are your preferred turn one plays; a Young Priestess can be played alongside one of these minions with the Coin.
As in all match ups, a solo Young Priestess or Abusive Sergeant is better than nothing.
Keep a Mortal Coil if you have another turn one play available, as most of Hunter’s early minions only have one health, making this card very valuable. Make efficient trades, play around any possible Explosive Traps by buffing your minions accordingly and not overextending are key points in this match up. Do this and this will be your easiest matchup.
If you are out of combo lethal range, loading your board to put your opponent in lethal range can be a strong move. Hunters can already clear your board with hounds aided by Hunters Mark or Timber Wolf, so the only thing you have to fear is Starving Buzzard card draw. However, if you can finish your opponent off next turn, this will not be a concern.
Vs Warrior Control
Maintaining tempo is the most important thing in this matchup. You must finish the Warrior quickly before they can take the game late.
Mulligan for minions which can stick to the board easier against a possible Slam or Cruel Taskmaster. A Fiery War Axe is the biggest threat to your minions.
Clear Armorsmith quickly and efficiently before they can build armor. When building a strong board presence, be careful of a possible Brawl and make sure you can bounce back with a large hand before any possible overextending.
If the game goes late, be wary of Baron Geddon and the potential two damage AoE(Area-of-Effect) as it could destroy all of your minions, leaving you crippled and in horrible position.
Vs Ramp Druid
Feel free to spam the board in this matchup, most Druid meta decks lack a powerful AoE removal.
Mulligan the same as you would against any other control deck. It’s important to constantly clear a Druid’s board, as they struggle without board presence, also it prevents them from surprising you with a Mark of the Wild to create a stronger than anticipated minion.
An excellent card – The Black Knight is an extremely useful card in this match up as Ramp Druid plays a variety of taunts; do not risk Soulfire discard on this card.
Vs Warlock Aggro
In the mirror match, you want to mulligan for as many one drops as you can. Gaining control of the board and getting your tempo going is the utmost important thing to winning this matchup.
Using Soulfire to clear an enemy minion is better than losing a friendly minion. Although normally spamming your board with minions would guarantee you the win in this matchup, more and more Warlock Aggro decks are choosing to run a Hellfire, as it allows them to gain control of a lost board.
If you find yourself losing this matchup, adding a Hellfire in place of a second Defender of Argus can help.
Things to Note
On a final note, we’d like to note a few tips about the deck. The deck contains a three card, five mana combo that deals 14 burst damage. This combo is the Leeroy Jenkins, plus Power Overwhelming, and plus Soulfire. This is your finisher and can catch many opponents off-guard.
A Abusive Sergeant can be added to pack a little more punch. Another trick for getting past big minions such as Chillwind Yeti and Senjin Shieldmastas is to use Mortal Coil on your own Amani Berserker, this will enrage it to five attack.
When placing minions, remember to properly position them; you’ll want minions you want to protect on the outside, such as Young Priestess. This allows you to drop a Defender of Argus on your other minions, leaving your Young Priestess safe.
We hope you enjoyed this week’s article. Feel free to reach out to me with questions or comments either below or @DKMR_BorN on Twitter. Also, if you’d like a specific topic to be covered on future articles, please let us know!
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Guide written by [DKMR]BorN
Discussions about this topic brought to you by Team [DKMR]
Decks to Watch Out For
This week’s decks to watch for consist of the ones we mentioned earlier. They are Midrange Hunter, Warrior Control, Warlock Aggro, and Ramp Druid. Midrange Hunter is terrorizing ranks Legend though four and we’re seeing a lot of Druid in lower ranks. Warrior Control and Warlock Aggro are being played in response but in not as great as force.
